Down to Earth
by FurryFeet
Summary: A scene without any life changing plot between Jack and Stephen.


Down to Earth  
  
(Short Piece #1)  
  
By: Megan Baker  
  
Jack awoke when the watches changed and found it rather difficult to fall back asleep after all had settled. It was a most ungodly hour, at least for the captain. He opened one eye to see if Stephen had indeed come to bed as he had asked him to hours ago, but the Doctor's hammock was empty and it made the room feel empty. With a groan Jack Aubrey flipped out of his hammock and using the pale moonlight to find a match, lit a candle. The cabin immediately took on an eerie glow as he opened the door and proceeded to tip-toe to the sickbay, where Stephen was using the excuse of William Church's fever to obsess in the quiet hole, over a new find. When Jack reached the open door, Church was sleeping restlessly. When the door opened fully, Jack beheld Stephen, bent over a dead creature on the table, aided only by two candles and moonlight. A shiver came every now and then from the sleeping boy, a glance from Stephen every now and then to him, slight worry. "How long have you been at spreading that thing's innards all over your operating table?" He asked as he entered and sat quietly on a nearby barrel. Stephen looked up momentarily. "Not that long, actually. You remember how long it took me to dissect that horse." Jack wrinkled his nose, remembering the horse...and in the house!  
  
"How is he?" Jack asked, motioning to the fevering boy. "Must you stay all night with him?" He finished. "His fever has been receding and no, in truth, he would be alright alone, but I want to finish this first." He said, opening a book to a certain page and reading intently, pausing his hands a moment. "Where is that insufferable creature, that...sloth?" Jack asked, looking around and in the rafters. Stephen chuckled. "It is far away from you, for now." "I did the thing no harm. It finally warmed up to me and you we're upset." Jack stated, chancing a glance in William's direction and then continuing in French, telling Stephen he was sorry he had let the sloth drink and would never let it happen again, even if he must suffer the creature's rejection.  
  
"How did you know they we're listening?" Stephen asked, later, also in French, nodding above him, where Jack looked to see a quick movement on the other side of the glass. "I didn't, Church is here." He said, now knowing the boy had heard his name if anything, laying so near. "He's only sleeping. But they enjoy eavesdropping on us." Stephen said softly, laughing as well. "They like to hear how you speak when you're a normal human being, with me, when you're not just 'Captain Jack Aubrey'." He said, worrying no longer of his patient, who he could certainly say was fast asleep. "Oh? Is that the psych behind it?" Jack asked smiling. "It is what I have concluded, yes." The Doctor answered and also concluded his dissection of the snake at the same moment. He closed several jars that had been open around him and disposed of the rest in a barrel.  
  
"Did you find anything interesting inside of that devilish thing?" Jack asked, unconcerned. Stephen triumphantly held up a whole, slimy mouse in Jack's face. "This I found in its digestive tract." He said thoughtfully. "They swallow their food whole you know?" He finished excitedly. "No, I didn't know." Jack answered him, pushing the thing away. "That is why I was able to capture him so easily, he was resting, lying still for the mouse to be digested." With this is stowed the mouse in a container also. "You're going to keep the blasted thing?" Jack asked above the whisper that Stephen required in his sickbay. "Shhh...yes," Stephen continued, exhibiting the tone he would rather hear. "I'm keeping it for further study. But as you said earlier, I must sleep a bit." Stephen finished and blew out the stationary candle, before taking another and leading the way out.  
  
Jack lingered for a moment, looking at the sick boy, apparently sleeping through his receding fever. With a quick glance in Stephen's direction he reached for an extra blanket and tucked it around the sleeping child's shoulders before walking out.  
  
After the door had closed, in the now dark room, William opened one eye, cautiously, snuggled into his new blanket and smiled before finally falling asleep. 


End file.
